Sir Ben Kingsley on Iron Man, Marvel, The Mandarin

5/2/2013 3:56PM

Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley stars as super-villain The Mandarin in "Iron Man 3," opening this Friday. In an interview with WSJ's Barbara Chai, Kingsley explores the popularity of the Marvel films, how his classical training informed his Mandarin role, and more.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... I'm Barbara Chai with the law Street Journal today we had the pleasure of speaking with your band the Kings link the stars at the Mandarin in the upcoming blockbuster film ... Iron Man three ... thank you so much for joining us is that pleasurable lot about it ... so the stock about your role as the Mandarin and Iron Man three ... I mean three is the first Marvel found to Open After a blockbuster success of The Avengers which took in ... more than one in a half billion worldwide and so far iron Man three ... has already grossed more than two hundred fifty million world wide ... what is it about these Marvel super hero films that is able to drive in the masses ... in my opinion momentum ... the Schumann of ... this be seen ... at the center will be great ... it comes from the team around ... and read the tea lady ... and they are very high over ration ship ... that ... allows them as axes ... and this charts is ... to be vulnerable to one another ... in other words ... you care about them ... because you know the yes that sometime soon ... yes you are protected somehow but inside that ... is of frail vulnerable ... simple human being ... so it's a combination of the extra laundry in the ordering ... it ... so that ... the orders is not dumb down ... by the phones ... for the audience is ... is about to pee ... themselves through the movie ... you can relate to the vulnerability ... he can relates to a common share you can relate to below you can relate to ... the need for that and you can relate to the uncertainty you can relate to human ... all within ... the framework ... of an amazing ... action movie ... we have to put in Asia on are of ... course that's how we talk about films but this one is ... I think this was ... altho on its own ... classically trained actor you spent fifteen years at the will Shakespeare company net Trevor Nunn a decorative plate ... Adelaide the fellow ... first up what ... can a classically trained actor such as yourself brings to a super hero franchise ... well ... um ... um the the the threat to myself ... but there is something about the construction of these phones ... in the right thing ... and in the journey and the longer the skier to ... I think ... needs ... the perspective of reacted to understand this we we all ... the bigger picture ... and it if you are as I was lucky enough to be trained in fits ... and in in grade school plays ... you have to have ... in any post or the lady or in ... the house leader of the bigger picture ... in the same way that if you are a wonderful ... let's say you're a virtuous about Venice ... continue reading a great symphony ... you need to know where you are in the sense that ... you need to know where those nights of lights ... um ... and so I think that kind of classical training helps me ... to stay within the beautiful profit fall to the same noting that these these linked with ... that that the greater picture who I'd I'd always bring that trying to ignite ... speaking of the bigger picture ... the one Academy Award for playing Gundy ... and on that fell that you literally have thousands of extra icing did not have anything on ... CGI free samples so ... what were some of the challenge is switching over to a film such as this with area CGI ... it's a it's a huge production and there are things that you might be battling that are actually there ... my Mandarin is more isolated from the CGI but of course is that these links to Spain ... I think it has the full dome to ... the birds are wrecked ... in the range of CGI because there's nothing that ... is to over react ... to that which is a ... few compensating for his absence ... so it directs Hermes he or she needs to temper the performance I know we've got it ... that's it ... because when I was performing in my first pick ... I did actually deliver a political speech ... of good for long ... to twenty thousand people moan and I when I was on the site is twenty thousand people set up in chips ... it's true but the talk and then it changes your body chemistry is not ... to Sosnick said there's hardly any actually need it ... because ... you ... it's again ... it's a wonderful and you give up ... now if there's nothing that I said don't worry we'll CGI them enough to its ... will discuss in China tumbled in chemistry including the screen actually ... hasn't done anything to me so ... it's quite a skill on top of that directive to say ... will we go to ... many to compensate ... thank you so much for speaking with us today serve and congratulations on the new film ... Iron Man three thank you ... investing with their banking play in the movie opens this Friday I'm Barbara Chai for the last return home ...